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Portable bathroom company Diamond Environmental showcased its new, all-electric RIZON medium duty commercial truck at a San Marcos, California mobility event last month – and the verdict is in: these electric trucks don’t stink!

City officials from San Marcos attended the electric vehicle and sustainability-focused event, including San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, San Diego Land Policy Advisor Hunter McDonald, and councilman Ed Musgrove. The stars of the show, however, were Diamond Environmental’s four RIZON e18L medium-duty commercial EVs.

“RIZON trucks are perfect for our daily local operations and align with our environmental and sustainability goals,” explained Alex Fortunati, CEO of Diamond Environmental. “Thanks to San Diego County’s incentive programs, we could economically make the transition to electromobility.”

Diamond Environmental equipped their RIZON electric trucks with stake bed/flatbed style bodies for two of the trucks, enabling a wide range of versatility for transporting portable toilet facilities, sinks, and other sanitation supplies to construction job sites and outdoor events like the Super Bowl in San Diego and the Coachella Music Festival.

For their part, the RIZON seems genuinely excited for the high-visibility partnership with Diamond Environmental.

“We’re pleased to support Diamond Environmental in their transition to zero-emissions RIZON trucks, enhancing both convenience and flexibility in their operations. Our sales team collaborated closely with them throughout the selection process to customize trucks that perfectly meet their business needs,” said Alex Voets, General Manager of RIZON USA. “We are proud to contribute to the innovations in today’s electric truck market, driving towards a more sustainable future for our communities.”

The RIZON offers fast-charging options for its 124 kWh battery pack, including DCFC up to 104 kW and Level 2 AC up to 14.9 kW, minimize downtime for the company’s daily delivery routes, achieving a range of up to 160 miles on a single charge. More than enough, in other words, to handle whatever loads Diamond Environmental will dump on it.

Funding for the trucks came, in part, from the Innovative Small e-Fleet (ISEF) Program that offers qualifying small fleets a minimum voucher of $120,000 toward an all-electric Class 4-5 electric truck, as well as region-specific incentives, like the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District’s grant program.

Electrek’s Take

There’s a total place in the North American market for an agile, easy-to-drive medium duty truck like the RIZON, and Daimler’s nationwide network of Freightliner and Western Star dealers should give first time MD buyers a bit more peach of mind than they might get from a startup brand.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA).

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VW says its cars will get Supercharger access and adapters in June (Updated)

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VW says its cars will get Supercharger access and adapters in June (Updated)

Volkswagen says that its electric cars will be able to charge at Tesla’s Supercharger network starting in June, reports PC Magazine.

In 2022, Tesla announced it would open its charging network, lured by big money promised in President Biden’s federal EV charging grants.

For a while it seemed like a bit of a hail mary, as many thought that most of the industry was already committed to the SAE CCS standard for fast charging.

But then, in 2023, Ford announced it would adopt Tesla’s connector, and all the dominos started to fall. Soon enough, basically the entire industry had announced a shift to Tesla’s charging standard.

For a time, though, VW was a holdout. It wasn’t until December 2023 – half a year after Ford’s announcement – that VW committed to switching to NACS in 2025 (though really, they were just waiting for SAE’s certification of the standard, which was completed a few days prior).

Well, now we’re here in 2025, and VW says they’re ready to step up.

Today at CES, VW PR director Mark Gillies confirmed to PC Magazine that “we get access to the network in June/July, when we have an official VW adapter.”

This means that the VW EVs available in the US – the ID.4 crossover SUV (which just restarted sales after a door handle recall) and the brand new ID. Buzz minivan, should be able to charge within months… as long as everything goes as planned.

Currently, VW isn’t even listed on Tesla’s NACS page, which mentions that Ford, Rivian, GM, Volvo, Polestar, and Nissan vehicles can all charge on Tesla’s charging network. The only manufacturer currently listed as “coming soon” is Mercedes-Benz, and generally manufacturers have spent a few months on that page before gaining access.

So this is a bit of a surprise announcement from VW, but certainly welcome. Then again, we have witnessed miscommunications in this respect before, so maybe Tesla just didn’t want to jump the gun again, like it did with Nissan. (Update: It turns out VW jumped the gun this time, as a previous version of this article quoted VW saying it will get access in March, not June).

In the past, adapters have taken some manufacturers time to make and ship out. Ford, for example, not only delayed its adapter rollout, but also had to replace some adapters – so caution might be warranted here.

VW’s confirmation today doesn’t specify whether its sub-brands, Audi and Porsche, would be on the same timeline. But since the three brands committed to NACS in a joint announcement, it stands to reason that they could be on the same timeline to get access and adapters.

Update: A previous version of this article stated that VW cars will get access in March, and adapters in June. It turns out, both access and adapters will come in June.

Electrek’s Take

Given that VW was one of the last manufacturers to officially adopt NACS, it’s nice to see them keeping to their timeline – and possibly beating some other manufacturers to the punch too.

This could also be a sign that we’ll start seeing more of a flood of manufacturers getting access soon. The transition is supposed to happen “throughout 2025” after all, and, well, that’s where we are. But the casual nature with which VW has confirmed this timeline suggests that perhaps this transition is really about to get on a roll.

So, look forward to having a lot more interesting sights to see at Superchargers, as the menagerie gets more varied throughout the year.


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Cox Automotive: 1 in 4 vehicles sold in 2025 will be electric

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Cox Automotive: 1 in 4 vehicles sold in 2025 will be electric

US EV sales will continue to grow in the year ahead, accounting for 1 in 4 vehicles sold in 2025, according to Cox Automotive’s 2025 Outlook.

Cox Automotive is kicking off 2025 with a bright outlook for the auto market. After wrapping up 2024 on a high note, the US auto industry seems to be on a solid path forward, despite some uncertainties. In fact, Cox is predicting that it’s going to be the best year for the auto market since before the pandemic, in 2019.

With the exception of Stellantis and Tesla, nearly every automaker posted higher sales year-over-year overall in 2024. General Motors was the top-selling automaker in 2024, while Honda and Mazda delivered strong growth.

The US market posted record EV sales in 2023 and 2024, and this trend is expected to continue in 2025. Cox Automotive predicts that EVs will account for approximately 10% of the market total in the year ahead, up from roughly 7.5% in 2024.

Hybrids and plug-ins will account for about 15% of the market, and sales of ICE vehicles will tumble to 75% of total volume, the lowest level on record.

EV growth will be supported by around 15 additional EV models entering the market, consumers deciding to buy before the Trump administration cuts the $7,500 tax credit, and state-level incentives countering potential federal cuts. The rapid expansion of the EV charging network is also contributing to this growth.

Cox asserts that “consumers are feeling better about the road ahead, as the US election was smoothly settled, interest rates are below their peaks, and the job market has stabilized.”

Read more: ‘EVs right now are the best deals in the market’ – Kelley Blue Book


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Here are the EVs you can still lease for under $300 a month in January

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Here are the EVs you can still lease for under 0 a month in January

With more models hitting the market and massive incentives, electric vehicles are more affordable than ever. However, with Trump’s transition team reportedly planning to end the EV tax credit, the savings may soon disappear. Here are the EVs you can still lease for under $300 a month in January.

2024 was another record year for EV sales in the US. Many automakers, including GM, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and Honda, sold significantly more electric cars last year than in 2023.

According to Cox Automotive, electric vehicles are expected to represent 7.5% of all US auto sales in 2024. Although all December and full-year 2024 sales numbers have yet to be released, EV sales hit a record in November. With over 116,000 units sold, electric cars achieved an 8.5% market share.

A big reason behind the growth was new models, like the Honda Prologue, which was the third best-selling EV in the US in November. That’s after deliveries began in just March.

Honda sold over 33,000 Prologues in the US last year, with nearly 7,900 in December alone. With over 114,000 EVs sold, GM outpaced Ford’s roughly 97,900. Meanwhile, Hyundai, Kia, and others reported record EV sales in 2024.

Although a big reason behind the sales surge is due to new options, massive incentives have made EVs even cheaper to lease than gas-powered cars.

EVs-lease-$300-January
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

What EVs are for lease for under $300 in January 2025?

With additional discounts on top of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, some discounts are reaching as high as $10,000 to $20,000 off MSRP. In Q3, EV incentives averaged over 12% of the average transaction price (ATP), nearly double the industry average of 7%.

Despite having a starting MSRP almost double that of a Civic Sedan, you can lease a Honda Prologue for less in many parts of the US.

EVs-lease-$300-January
2024 Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)

The 2024 Honda Prologue is listed at just $229 for 36 months in California and other ZEV states. With $1,299 due at signing, the effective monthly payment is $265. That’s for the EX (FWD) trim, which has a range of up to 296 miles.

In other parts of the country, don’t worry — Honda is still offering Prologue leases starting at $249 per month. You can also opt for a 0% APR.

Lease From Term
(months)
Due at Signing Effective rate per month
(including upfront fees)
2025 Kia Niro EV $149 24 $3,999 $315
2024 Kia EV6 $159 24 $3,849 $319
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 $189 24 $3,999 $355
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 $159 24 $3,999 $326
2024 Fiat 500e $211 42 $211 $216
2024 Toyota bZ4X $219 39 $2,999 $296
2024 Honda Prologue $229 36 $1,299 $265
2024 Subaru Solterra $279 36 $279 $287
Tesla Model 3 $299 36 $2,999 $382
Tesla Model Y $299 36 $2,999 $382
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV $299 24 $3,169 $431
Best EV lease deals for under $300 a month in January 2025

Using data from auto intelligence firm CarsDirect, we’ve gathered the top EVs you lease for under $300 a month this January. You can view offers in your area at the bottom.

Several other electric crossovers and SUVs, including the 2024 Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ4X, and Hyundai IONIQ 5, are available to lease for under $300.

EVs-lease-$300-January
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (left) and IONIQ 6 (right) at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is listed as low as $189 for 24 months. With $3,999 due at signing, the effective rate is $355. Hyundai is offering big savings to clear inventory with the upgraded 2025 models arriving at US dealerships.

Hyundai’s other dedicated EV, the IONIQ 6, is listed at just $159 for 36 months. With $3,999 due at signing, the monthly effective rate is $326.

EVs-lease-$300-January
2024 Subaru Solterra (Source: Subaru)

Subaru is offering 2024 Solterra leases starting at $279 per month (36 months). With just the first month’s payment due up front ($279), the monthly rate is $296. Although Toyota’s bZ4X is listed for as little as $219 for 39 months, with $2,999 due at signing, it’s slightly more with an effective rate of $296.

Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 can be leased for just $299 per month (36 months). With $2,999 due at signing for an effective rate of $382.

EVs-lease-$300-January
Chevy Equinox EV (Source: GM)

The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV can be leased for as little as $299 for 24 months. With $3,169 due upfront, the monthly rate is $431.

Meanwhile, a November report by Reuters claimed that Trump’s transition team aimed to eliminate the $7,500 federal tax credit. If true, many of these savings could soon disappear.

Are you ready to find your new EV? We’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to find the best deals on popular electric vehicles in your area.

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